Slide rail assembly

ABSTRACT

A slide rail assembly includes an outer slide rail having a certain length, a middle slide rail having a certain length and reciprocally slidably nested in the outer slide rail and an inner slide rail having a certain length and reciprocally slidably nested in the middle slide rail. When the inner slide rail is pushed to drive the middle slide rail to together get into the outer slide rail by a maximum travel, an inner end of the inner slide rail protrudes from an inner end of the middle slide rail and an inner end of the outer slide rail. Also, the inner end of the middle slide rail protrudes from the inner end of the outer slide rail.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a slide rail structure, and moreparticularly to a slide rail assembly of a tool cabinet or a filecabinet equipped with several drawers.

A conventional tool cabinet or a file cabinet is generally equipped withseveral drawers arranged in the cabinet body. Corresponding rails arerespectively mounted on the drawers and the cabinet body. The rails arerelatively slidably fitted with each other, whereby the drawers can bedrawn out of and pushed into the cabinet body.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a conventional drawer 91 designed with an elongatedlength for enlarging capacity. Three rails, that is, a cabinet sliderail 93, a middle slide rail 94 and a drawer slide rail 95 are providedfor fully or principally drawing the drawer 91 out of the cabinet body92 without derailing. These slide rails are slidably assembled with eachother and formed a slide rail assembly 9, whereby the drawer 91 can betotally drawn out of the cabinet body 92 without derailing and droppingfrom the cabinet body 92. Ball bearings 96, 97 are arranged between theslide rails to reduce the frictional force therebetween. Therefore, theslide rails can be easily slid without causing noise.

In general, the cabinet slide rail 93, middle slide rail 94 and drawerslide rail 95 substantially have nearly equal lengths. The length of themiddle slide rail 94 is slightly shorter than those of the cabinet sliderail 93 and the drawer slide rail 95. When the drawer slide rail 95drives the middle slide rail 94 to be totally pushed into the cabinetslide rail 93, the drawer slide rail 95 and the middle slide rail 94 arenested in the cabinet slide rail 93. On the basis of length of material,these slide rails are all about the same length of material. Inaddition, the drawer 91 and the cabinet body 92 can get and apply to theslide rail assembly of the different manufacturer. Basically, only theseslide rail assemblies have the same length when the drawer slide rail 95drives the middle slide rail 94 to be totally pushed into the cabinetslide rail 93. In other words, the minimum lengths of these slide railassemblies are the same.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide aslide rail assembly. While maintaining load capacity of the slide railassembly, the length of the slide rail assembly is shortened to lowermaterial cost. Also, a drawer equipped with such slide rail assembly canbe still fully pushed into and drawn out of a cabinet body.

According to the above object, the slide rail assembly of the presentinvention includes an outer slide rail, a middle slide rail and an innerslide rail. The outer slide rail has a certain length. One side of theouter slide rail is fixable on an inner face of a main body having anopening. The middle slide rail has a certain length and reciprocallyslidably nested in the outer slide rail. The inner slide rail has acertain length and reciprocally slidably nested in the middle sliderail. One side of the inner slide rail is connectable with an article,whereby the article can be drawn out of or pushed into the main bodythrough the opening thereof. When the inner slide rail is pushed todrive the middle slide rail to together get into the outer slide rail bya maximum travel, an inner end of the inner slide rail protrudes from aninner end of the middle slide rail and an inner end of the outer sliderail. Also, the inner end of the middle slide rail protrudes from theinner end of the outer slide rail.

The present invention can be best understood through the followingdescription and accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side view of a conventional slide rail assembly, in whichthe drawer slide rail is drawn out by a maximum travel;

FIG. 1B is a side view of the conventional slide rail assembly accordingto FIG. 1A, in which the drawer slide rail is pushed in by a maximumtravel;

FIG. 2A is a side view of a first embodiment of the slide rail assemblyof the present invention, in which the inner slide rail is drawn out bya maximum travel;

FIG. 2B is a side view of the first embodiment of the slide railassembly of the present invention according to FIG. 2A, in which theinner slide rail is pushed in by a maximum travel;

FIG. 3A is a side view of a second embodiment of the slide rail assemblyof the present invention, in which the inner slide rail is drawn out bya maximum travel;

FIG. 3B is a side view of the second embodiment of the slide railassembly of the present invention according to FIG. 3A, in which theinner slide rail is pushed in by a maximum travel;

FIG. 4A is a side view of a third embodiment of the slide rail assemblyof the present invention, in which the inner slide rail is drawn out bya maximum travel;

FIG. 4B is a side view of the third embodiment of the slide railassembly of the present invention according to FIG. 4A, in which theinner slide rail is pushed in by a maximum travel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Please refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B. According to a first embodiment, theslide rail assembly 1 of the present invention includes an outer sliderail 12, a middle slide rail 14 and an inner slide rail 16.

The outer slide rail 12 has a certain length. A front end and a rear endof one side of the outer slide rail 12 are lengthwise fixed on an innerface of a main body 11 such as a cabinet body. The main body 11 has anopening 111.

The middle slide rail 14 has a certain length and is lengthwisereciprocally slidably nested in the outer slide rail 12.

The inner slide rail 16 has a certain length and is lengthwisereciprocally slidably nested in the middle slide rail 14. One side ofthe inner slide rail 16 is connected with an article 13 such as adrawer. Accordingly, the article 13 can be drawn out of or pushed intothe main body 11 through the opening 111 thereof.

Wherein the slide rail assembly 1 is telescopic and has a maximum lengthand a minimum length.

When the inner slide rail 16 is pushed to drive the middle slide rail 14to together get into the outer slide rail 12 by a maximum travel, theouter ends of the inner slide rail 16 and the middle slide rail 14 areretracted into the outer slide rail 12. At this time, the inner end ofthe inner slide rail 16 protrudes from the inner end of the outer sliderail 12.

In comparison with the conventional slide rail assembly, in the firstembodiment of the present invention, the lengths of the outer slide rail12 and middle slide rail 14 are shortened. When the inner slide rail 16drives the middle slide rail 14 to together get into the outer sliderail 12 by a maximum travel, the middle slide rail 14 is kept receivedin the outer slide rail 12, the partial inner slide rail 16 is receivedin the outer slide rail 12 and the another partial inner slide rail 16protrudes from the inner end of the outer slide rail 12. The minimumlength of the slide rail assembly of the present invention is stillequal to that of the correspondingly conventional slide rail assembly soas to achieve telescopic function as the conventional one. The innerslide rail 16 of the present invention is like a cantilever and can bearthe loading ability as the conventional one does. However, the cost forthe material of the slide rail assembly of the present invention islowered.

In the first embodiment (FIGS. 2A and 2B), when the inner slide rail 16drives the middle slide rail 14 to together get into the outer sliderail 12 by a maximum travel (FIG. 2B), the inner end of the inner sliderail 16 protrudes from the inner end of the outer slide rail 12 by afirst distance and the length of the slide rail assembly is a seconddistance. The first distance is longer than a tenth of the seconddistance. In other words, the first distance is longer than a tenth ofthe minimum length of the slide rail assembly 1.

Ball bearings are arranged between the outer slide rail 12, the middleslide rail 14 and the inner slide rail 16 to reduce the frictional forcetherebetween. Therefore, the slide rails can be easily slid withoutcausing noise.

FIGS. 3A and 3B show a second embodiment of the present invention, whichis evolved from the first embodiment. However, the outer slide rail 12of the second embodiment is shorter than the outer slide rail 12 of thefirst embodiment. In other words, when the inner slide rail 16 drivesthe middle slide rail 14 to together get into the outer slide rail 12 bya maximum travel (FIG. 3B), the outer ends of the inner slide rail 16and the middle slide rail 14 are retracted into the outer slide rail 12.At this time, the inner end of the middle slide rail 14 protrudes fromthe inner end of the outer slide rail 12, the inner end of the innerslide rail 16 protrudes from the inner end of the middle slide rail 14,the length of the slide rail assembly of the second embodiment is equalto that of the slide rail assembly of the first embodiment and it isunnecessary that the first distance is longer than a tenth of the seconddistance.

In the second embodiment of the present invention, the length of theinner slide rail 16 is longer than that of the middle slide rail 14,while the length of the middle slide rail 14 is longer than that of theouter slide rail 12.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show a third embodiment of the present invention, whichis based on the second embodiment. However, the inner slide rail 16 ofthe third embodiment is shorter than the inner slide rail 16 of thesecond embodiment. In other words, the inner slide rail 16 of the thirdembodiment is shortened from the outer end of the inner slide rail 16 ofthe second embodiment. This can further lower the cost for the material.

The concept of the present invention consists in shortening the lengthsof the outer slide rail 12 and middle slide rail 14 from its inner endbut maintaining the length of the inner slide rail 16, furthershortening the length of the outer slide rail 12 and furthermoreshortening the length of the inner slide rail 16 from its outer end inorder to lower the cost for the material.

The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention,not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the aboveembodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

1. A slide rail assembly comprising: an outer slide rail having acertain length, one side of the outer slide rail being fixable on aninner face of a main body having an opening; a middle slide rail havinga certain length and reciprocally slidably nested in the outer sliderail; and an inner slide rail having a certain length and reciprocallyslidably nested in the middle slide rail, one side of the inner sliderail being connectable with an article, whereby the article can be movedin and out the main body through the opening thereof, wherein said sliderail assembly is telescopic and has a maximum length and a minimumlength, said slide rail assembly being characterized in when the innerslide rail is pushed to drive the middle slide rail to together get intothe outer slide rail by a maximum travel, two ends of the middle sliderail are positioned in the outer slide rail without protruding from twoends of the outer slide rail, while the inner end of the inner sliderail protrudes from the inner end of the outer slide rail by a firstdistance, the first distance is longer than a tenth of the minimumlength of said slide rail assembly.
 2. A slide rail assembly comprising:an outer slide rail having a certain length, one side of the outer sliderail being fixable on an inner face of a main body having an opening; amiddle slide rail having a certain length and reciprocally slidablynested in the outer slide rail; and an inner slide rail having a certainlength and reciprocally slidably nested in the middle slide rail, oneside of the inner slide rail being connectable with an article, wherebythe article can be moved in and out the main body through the openingthereof, said slide rail assembly being characterized in that when theinner slide rail is pushed to drive the middle slide rail to togetherget into the outer slide rail by a maximum travel, an outer end of theinner slide rail and an outer end of the middle slide rail are retractedinto the outer slide rail, an inner end of the middle slide railprotrudes from the inner end of the outer slide rail and the inner endof the inner slide rail protrudes from the inner end of the middle sliderail.
 3. The slide rail assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein thelength of the inner slide rail is longer than the length of the middleslide rail, while the length of the middle slide rail is longer than thelength of the outer slide rail.
 4. The slide rail assembly as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the length of the middle slide rail is longer than thelength of the outer slide rail, while the length of the inner slide railis between the length of the middle slide rail and the length of theouter slide rail.